May 5-11, 2005
artpicks
God Is In the Details
 |
|
The characters are flat, the prose is simple, and the plots march straight and tie up neatly like jokes. You can't read Shalom Auslander's Beware of God (Simon & Schuster) the way you'd tackle other works of short fiction; the existential explorations — played out by self-aware chimps, theological fundamentalists and a dog who frowns on masturbation, among others — are not intended for scholarly interpretation. Indeed, reading Auslander at all might put unfair pressure on an author who isn't trying to create conventional literature. He's a smart guy with a sharp eye for human behavior, a tendency to repeat himself for comic effect and a couple shrewd points to make about overly organized religions. Sounds like a standup comedian to me. At the library, we should see Auslander in his element, reading his stories aloud, pausing for the laughter and making a direct connection with his audience.
Shalom Auslander, Thu., May 5, 7 p.m., with Eric Bogosian, Free Library of Philadelphia, 1901 Vine St., 215-686-5322.
-- Respond to this article in our Forums -- click to jump there
